Nets beat Raptors in play-off game

NEW YORK (AP):

The Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 94-87 in Game 1 of their first round NBA play-off series yesterday.

Deron Williams and Joe Johnson each scored 24 points, and Paul Pierce scored nine of his 15 points in the final quarter as the Nets won despite making 4 of 24 3-pointers.

Kyle Lowry scored 22 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 18 rebounds to lead the host Raptors.

Valanciunas is the second Raptors player to have a double double in his post-season debut, after Tracy McGrady in 2000. Valanciunas also set a Raptors record for play-off rebounds.

The game was delayed midway through the third quarter when the shot clocks above each basket malfunctioned. Play eventually resumed with both clocks still dark, and the stadium announcer marking the remaining time at 10 seconds, then counting down from five before saying 'Horn' as time expired. The clocks remained inactive for the rest of the game.

Toronto led 77-76 on a three by Greivis Vasquez at 5:15, but the Nets replied with a jumper by Johnson, a turnaround jumper by Kevin Garnett and a three by Pierce to lead 82-76 with 2:58 remaining.

Pierce added two more baskets on either side of a three by Vasquez, and the Nets sealed it with six free throws in the final 22 seconds.

Meanwhile, NBA players are warned at the start of every season about the dangers of nutritional supplements. One of them could be the reason the Memphis Grizzlies will begin the play-offs without Nick Calathes.

The reserve guard was suspended for 20 games on Friday for violating the league's anti-drug policy by testing positive for tamoxifen.

Yahoo Sports reported that the drug was part of a supplement that Calathes had been using. And while the supplement may not have been illegal, players are reminded that many contain substances that are.

Random test

"They are not regulated by the federal government and so you don't know what's in them. And we tell that to our players every year," NBA general counsel Rick Buchanan said yesterday.

Players are randomly tested four times during the season and twice in the off season.

Buchanan couldn't talk specifically about the case of Calathes, a 25-year-old rookie reserve who averaged 4.9 points and 2.9 assists in 71 games this season.

But he said tamoxifen, often used in breast cancer treatment pills, is on the banned substance list of most sports because it can be used to increase testosterone.

Calathes will have to miss the games, though he can file a grievance to an independent arbitrator in hopes of recovering his lost salary.